Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Someone Who Gets It - Obama, The Double Standard, and His Willingness to Play Ball

A post by a commenter at Jack and Jill Politics who really understands the how Obama has been so willing to uphold the double standards by the media (and white folk in general) when it comes to his relationship with Wright and McCain's with Hagee:

Tell the truth: Barack Obama has been all too willing to uphold the double-standard. He definitely hasn't held a press conference to confront the issue. Every time he's been asked to "jump", he's really played ball like he did at UNC showing he's got more hops than Michael Jordan, Jerry Stackhouse and Vince Carter combined.

Here it is, people calling Rev. Wright out for being selfish while Obama's response was everything selfishness is made of with his eagerness to please and appease. Selfishly, Obama and a number of his supporters, obviously, felt like his bid... HIS BID for president (remember, he's not running for president of Black America - i.e. to necessarily represent or promote Black people's issues and concerns)... He obviously felt that his bid for president had to be bought at the expense of Rev. Wright and even his own wife.

I have a serious issue with Black people in 2008 who are so quick to sacrifice other Black people and even themselves at the altar of White acceptance. All the Noble Negro and other rationales for "playing the game" fall short and flat with me. People rightly criticize Rev. Wright for HOW he said what he did in the NPC Q&A session AND I rightly see reason to criticize Obama for HOW he's been so willing to concede the double-standard and quick to denounce Rev. Wright and Min. Farrakhan whenever he's been asked to BY HIS ENEMIES!!

The whole sorry drama featured both Obama and Wright playing their roles. Wright became that "crazy uncle" Obama dismissed him as and Obama was willing to use Min. Farrakhan for personal gain. Simply put, there was no reason for him to say anything about Farrakhan in his reaction to Rev. Wright.

This self-sacrifice narrative has got to go. Somehow, after all that time in Rev. Wright's church, the whole idea of Afrocentricism was lost on Barack Obama (and I've defended Obama so much I've been labeled an uncritical supporter of Obama).

On the Farrakhan issue... according to reports, Obama was at the Million Man March.